I am really happy to have recently purchased Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium. Just the smell of pulling it out of the box got me excited. I thought that I could resist installing it at least until  I created the new studio computer, however It was like looking at a very tempting beautiful stranger from across the room , there was a high degree of animal magnetism , and in the end I finally gave in.

Then I began to digitally  finger paint (see image), and noticed how smooth and instinctual the controls were. My heart began to beat fast and I knew I was in love. The great thing about Adobe Photoshop CS4 is that there are several ways to do any one thing, and beyond being easily accessible its highly intuitive , you can use it for years and learn something new each month that goes by.And after I get my new machine, I read somewhere that it will actually make my coffee and throw me highly uplifting compliments to boost my self esteem. I mean really who could ask for anything more.

I highly recommend this series of programs the the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium for anyone starting out in film or media design. And if you follow that recommendation, I feel that you will begin to do incredible things, I cannot fully state how powerful and essential this tool is. 

And try digital finger painting if you get a chance, it can be highly therapeutic.

Thanks for dropping by,

TJPARSONS






 

The first time I met him,
I  was talking to him at  USC and he said:

"...when  I make a film, or a cartoon I look at this world like I'm from another place, another planet..or even a child ..everything is brand new..fresh..most things seem strange to me anyway, the world is so odd when you really think about It . It helps.."

INT: Hi I'm Cecil B. Demille.

TJPARSONS:(laughs) Yeah right, and I'm T. J. Parsons.

INT: A sense of humor I like that

TJPARSONS: I do what I can.

INT: Who is Matt Chellini?

TJPARSONS: He is a good friend that I have that lives in Virginia.He's got a gift of challenging me without being an ass. (nervous laugh)

INT: I have to know. What is Uddershiet?

TJPARSONS: (grins) Its fun to say. Fun to think about. It kind of just stuck.

INT: Did I pronounce it right? UDDER-SHite

TJPARSONS: You did OK.

INT: I notice that you have 4 projects you are currently working on..

TJPARSONS: Actually I have a few dozen. Man that sounds bad.. My focus is on two. But I'm always adding material when I find it, or observe it and add it to others.

INT:  ..And what do you find.

TJPARSONS: I find that people are predictable to a point but we always have this element of chaos like a wild animal. Its fun to watch people that you predict to be one way and then find out that they have their crazy subtleties.

INT: So what do you take from that?

TJPARSONS: You learn a lot by putting your cellphone down and actually interacting with other human beings around you. Life is bitter and sweet. I find humor in dramatic situations and drama in humorous situations. Many lines are blurred.

INT: From what I read that is your style?

TJPARSONS: Sometimes its fun to get people in just one moment of time to believe ridiculousness.

INT: I don't think that is a word

TJPARSONS: Then you learned something new...(giggles)

INT: So whats so hard about making a edgy comedy or any comedy for that matter in your current environment?

TJPARSONS: You tend to be a little more timid when getting backing for a  comedy. Its difficult. When you talk to people about a serious idea for doing something funny, they don't seem take you as seriously as if per say you would offer them an idea for a drama or a tight lipped cultural introspection.

INT: What so good about comedy anyway?

TJPARSONS: Now more than ever we need to laugh, comedies are highly marketable.Why don't we have many of those features coming out of South Carolina produced by southerners? We have independent films about "the  south", in my opinion too many documentaries, not enough experimental, and just plain fun projects.

INT: Lots of films are exploring different geographical settings now.

TJPARSONS: It's hard for someone to buy in and relate to in a high rise in New York, if you haven't lived that lifestyle.

INT: So what does South Carolina need to do with their future in production?

TJPARSONS: I say take a risk, turn some heads. If the purpose of all these tax initiatives are trying to bring production down here, they need a reason, why would they come down here, just to film an exterior of a historical house for a few minutes in the entire film. You just can't bank big money doing that every time and getting consistent economic growth.

INT: This is true.

TJPARSONS: How many people are still riding out the buzz on "The Patriot "? Seems every other week I run into someone that brags they were an extra in that film. Old news.  Lets do something edgy that's not a documentary or based on some piece of history that's sewn to fabric of the State that no one will ever let us forget.

INT: What would be new news?

TJPARSONS: Make a full feature, pull some strings, make it stand out, make a buzz. Create some some controversy and I'm not talking a cultural piece about water rights in some county that no one has ever heard of.Challenge the way people look at your isolated geographic region, make fun of your self and when you got your hooks in them then make them empathize or understand. Not the other way around. 

INT: Some one told me not to mention the words "selling out" to you.

TJPARSONS: Selling out is a myth, Its what people say when they drink coffee and want to wax with someone and instantly "sound" cool. Anybody  that says it , usually didn't have to eat bologna sandwiches, ramen instant noodles years on end to save money to finance a dream.

INT: First in the grand scene of things?

TJPARSONS: I got big ideas, I'm taking a risk myself putting all this information out there.

INT: Why is that?

TJPARSONS: There is not a month that goes by that I don't pick up some magazine and see that some big company has made a movie with ideas striking similar to my own, and it did really well. They also have marketing power. I'm not saying that they are stealing my ideas.. far from it, what I am saying is that its a confidence boost  that it was a good concept, and you kept following through even though people may tell you it just won't work. In this new site I'm showing everything I've done to date. Things that worked, things that didn't work and talking about why or why not. I think It may be a more useful approach than what usually goes on on the internet."Hi I'm Joe blow here's my portfolio... See how great I think I am?" I'd rather help someone out, meet some people (media is a social profession) and combine efforts to make something fun we can look back on and say .. man, wasn't that some great times...and share it with and audience; find an audience, a following that enjoys the same humor, ideals and styles.

INT: How about a South Carolina film marketing initiative.

TJPARSONS: That's pretty good maybe I should be interviewing you.
But its time and I believe that are people out there that want to have fun, make some money,  make something permanent , cut loose of the confines of.. what 
people will think, and just do it... That's Uddershiet that's what I'm doing. A battle cry if you will.

INT: I love your enthusiasm, this has been fun.

TJPARSONS: Glad I could help out

INT: Thank you

TJPARSONS: No, thank you. Have you ever done any acting?